The Ship Sets Sail
by BrenRenQoI
Summary: Javk takes Sam home after the events of Grace and their feelings come flying to the surface once again.


The Ship Sets Sail by Bren Ren 

Related Episodes: Grace and Chimera

Summary: Jack takes Sam home after "Grace"... the ship begins to set sail from there.

Disclaimer: Not mine. Never will be. I just like to play with them. MGM and co. owns them. Not done for profit, only an attempt to exorcise an obsession. Hey, I never out grew Barbies.

Author's Note: This is an old fic that I've reworked and cleaned up. Enjoy and Happy Shipping!

* * *

o 

Sam awoke to the unfamiliar sensation of being held in someone's arms. Snuggling, even. Afraid the headache from hell had come back seeking vengeance, she slowly opened her eyes just enough to let in the tiniest bit of dawn's early light. The pain seemed to be content to settle into a dull thud. She opened her eyes a bit more and ever so slowly turned her head to see the face of the person spooned behind her. Just as she suspected, she found Col Jack O'Neill, looking more peaceful than she had ever seen him.

She wasn't sure exactly how or when it happened. It certainly wasn't when she woke up in the infirmary and accidentally called out "Jack". That startled "Scuse me?" snapped her out of that moment real quick. Maybe it was during the quiet ride home from the base. She was quite surprised when he insisted on giving her a lift home. They didn't say a word the entire time. Or maybe it was after he helped her get in and settled, even running out for a few groceries. Yeah, it was right about then. Right after he put the food away. He brought her a glass of water and her next round of pain meds. She dutifully swallowed the pills, and then invited him to join her on the couch.

For a long moment, all she could do was look at him. There were at least a million and one ways to say what was on the tip of her tongue, but nothing felt right. At last, she spoke, very softly. "You know, it's been a couple of years since we've come within ten feet of… this," she waved her hand between them nervously.

"That really was some bonk on the head ya got there, wasn't it?"

"You have no idea." Sam still had yet to actually talk to anyone about her hallucinations whilst adrift in the nebula. She knew she'd have to sooner or later, but right now, she was still hoping for later.

"It really felt like I had been out there for months. I kept drifting in and out of consciousness."

"You handled yourself damned well out there, Major. Saved your ass, your crew, your ship, and your enemy."

"I had a lot of time to think, though. Well, sort of. Couldn't really think too clearly. I still wonder how I managed to pull that one off."

"Well, I haven't quite read the entire mission report yet, but from what I gather, you had another BrilliantCarter leap of logic and came up with a way out. Just another day in paradise, right?"

She started to nod in agreement, but a shearing pain caught her right between the eyes; all she managed was a sharp wince and a barely muffled groan.

"I think that's enough conversation for one afternoon, Major. Time for some rest. On your feet, soldier," he said lightly. It only elicited another groan from Sam.

Jack sighed. He padded down the hallway, retrieved a pillow and blanket from her room, and returned to find Sam snoring softly on the couch. With one arm still clutching the pillow, he did his best to cover her with the blanket while contemplating the best way to ease the pillow under her head.

"Sir?" Sam called out in a panicked voice.

"Right here. Gotcha a pillow. Can you..?" Sam lifted her head about a centimeter off the couch. Jack slipped his hand under just as she dropped back down and gently lifted her enough to slide the pillow in. He laid her head back down, but left his hand beneath her, unable for a moment to relinquish the soft warmth of her flesh.

"Don't leave…" she mumbled as she nestled into his hand. As if there were the slightest chance anything in the universe would make him move from that spot. Jack stretched out his long legs, leaned back against the couch, and closed his eyes in contemplation. Before he knew it, he was sound asleep.

Some hours later, Jack awoke to a kink in his neck, and found himself spooned behind Sam. He had no recollection of moving, though. _Dammit, you weren't supposed to stay! _he told himself. _Just get her home, safe and sound, and leave her to R&R on her own. It's time to go, Jack, before you end up doing something stupid. _He looked over at his hand beneath her cheek. _Something more idiotic._

He gently and ever-so-slowly pulled his hand out from under her head. She didn't stir this time. Jack rolled himself away from her, and started for the door. Then he heard strange singing, apparently coming from Sam's guest room…

_**Twinkle, twinkle, little star…**_

Jack did an about face and looked down the hallway then over to Sam, who was still snoring softly. He heard it again. It was the voice of a young girl, singing…

_**Then the traveler in the dark**_

_**Thanks you for your tiny spark.**_

_**How could he see where to go**_

_**If you did not twinkle so…**_

Jack walked slowly toward the room, but when he got to the door, the voice stopped. He nudged the door fully open, only to see an empty room. Shaking his head, Jack turned to leave, when he caught a glimpse of movement at the end of the hall, heading towards the living room, and Sam. Jack nearly ran down the hall, skidding to a halt the moment he reached the room. Sitting on the floor about three feet in front of the couch was a young girl, one with long, curly, light brown hair, soft blue eyes, and the sweetest, most innocent smile he'd ever seen.

"She's going to be okay, isn't she," the child said. It was a statement, not a question. Jack nodded. "And you. She worried about you. She holds her pain and fear deep inside. She faced them out there. She has learned much about herself. But she remains unsure about you."

Jack had no clue what to say. This was just too surreal. Sam, unsure about him? Why?

He didn't speak the words aloud, but the girl answered him, "Have you told her? Have you yet spoken the words she needs to hear?" She rose from the floor and walked to Jack. She took his hand and walked with him back to Sam. "Just tell her," she said as she released his hand. Jack stared at Sam for a long moment. When he turned his head to find her, the girl was gone.

_Just tell her. _The words echoed in his head like a mantra. Jack heaved a weary sigh a dropped back down to the floor beside Sam. For a long time, he watched her sleep. An hour passed. Then another. And another. Then Sam began to stir.

"Jack…"

"Still here."

Sam opened her eyes to find his dark gaze intensely focused on her from just inches away. "Thought you'd left," she said softly.

"Probably should have." Jack winced. That wasn't what he'd meant to say.

"Why didn't you?" Jack didn't have an answer for her. _A little girl showed up and told me I should stay, that I should tell you…_ Yeah, that'd go over well.

Finally, he spoke. "How's the headache? Need more med-"

"Please, Jack. I need to know."

Jack sighed. "I was worried about you."

"Oh."

"Just wanted to make sure you were gonna be okay… on your own, ya know?"

"Yeah." Sam studied his face for a long time, trying to decipher just what she was seeing in his eyes. Concern, yes, but for his second-in-command, his friend, his… ? The uncertainty shown in her eyes, and Jack reached over to touch her face, a light caress of the temple, so soft she could have just imagined it. Definitely not the touch of a CO, too intimate for a casual friend, sooo…

"Oh!" she burst out suddenly, eyes wide in surprise.

"Oh? Like you haven't known for the last couple of years, at least."

"Well, we never talk about it… We locked everything up in that room years ago…"

"Hey, that was your suggestion, remember?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"But?"

"But… nothing, not a hint, not a peep. What the hell am I supposed to think?"

Jack reached down a clasped her hand firmly. "You should know by now, I will always be here for you. No matter what."

Sam gasped audibly at the familiar words. How could she explain that they'd had a hallucinatory conversation in which he'd said exactly the same words? Out loud, she continued, "I guess I just… I was afraid you'd… moved on. Or that I'd just blown it all out of proportion, that it was all just… in my head."

Jack shook his head with a smile. "Whatever it is, it's definitely not just in your head."

"Oh."

"Back to that again?"

"Blame it on the meds, sir. I'm a little slow on the upbeat."

"So I might actually have a chance at keeping up with you. That ought to be a nice change."

Sam started to laugh, but it quickly turned to a wince of pain. "Do me a favor, sir, don't make me laugh again."

"I will be as unfunny as humanly possible. Scouts honor," he pledged.

Sam slowly rose to a sitting position, and found the change of altitude was actually agreeable to her head.

"Hungry? I picked up some food," Jack announced.

"Food," she said, thought about it for a moment. "Yeah, that sounds good."

"Coming right up!"

o

They had finally broached the subject, after being on the back burner for so long. So far, so good. If you call business as usual, as though there was nothing special between them, good. Of course, there were still regs between them, nothing had really been resolved. But for the first time, Sam knew, without a doubt, what lie beneath the surface of the relationship between her and Col O'Neill. For now, that was enough. For how long it would be enough, Sam couldn't say. Right now, the only things she knew for certain were that she loved her job, her career, and her CO. Since there was no way to balance all three, she had to keep up the juggling act.

Sam gave her hair one final drag of the brush and took a long hard look in the mirror. She'd done that a lot the last couple weeks since returning from her strange journey aboard the Prometheus. And she was still pleased with what she saw: a confident, competent, secure woman, full of piss and vinegar and ready to take on the universe. Sam grinned as she turned out of the bathroom to leave for the base.

He should have seen it coming. After their brief conversation right after she came home from her extended stay on Prometheus, he'd actually felt pretty good about where things stood between them, considering the fact that he'd fallen head over heals in love with his second-in-command sometime while he wasn't looking.

Things had gone pretty cold and stale following Daniel's ascension. He shut her out. Everyone else, too. Even then, though, she could still get him to do things no one else in the galaxy could ever talk him into. He became a damned snakehead for while to get rid of that stupid ancient virus thing. Look how that turned out. It wasn't really until Nirrti stuck her in that machine, when she nearly turned into a puddle on him, that he started to let her back in.

Col Jack O'Neill shivered at the memory. He shook his head as if to clear the images from his mind. Glancing at his watch, he realized he had a full hour before the briefing. Since when was he early for an 07:00 briefing? This could be a very bad sign.

As he stepped out of the elevator, he contemplated, very briefly, going to his office and catching up on some paperwork. Very briefly. He decided that it'd be much more fun to go bug Carter… He went to see if she was in her lab.

He was doomed to disappointment, though, as the lab was dark. She wasn't there yet. Well, no big surprise, really. First day back and all. He quickly changed course to Daniel; he was fun to bug, too.

Jack whistled his way through the corridors, drawing startled attention from the staff he passed. When he reached the office of Dr Jackson, it, too, was dark. Frowning, he resigned himself to the stack of reports awaiting him.

Half hour later, with a headache the size of a black hole, Jack threw his pen down in disgust. As if in answer to his unspoken prayer, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in! " he barked. Then winced when Sam slowly poked her head through.

"Sorry, Carter. Come in, please. Any excuse to not be doing-" he motioned around the tall stacks of papers surrounding him "this!"

Sam smiled. He really liked seeing her smile.

"Just reporting back to duty, Sir."

"Great. How's the head?"

"Better. Hardly a twinge."

"Glad to hear it. We're scheduled to go off-world to planet P3X-69something something tomorrow."

"Looking forward to it, Sir."

"Me too. I hear there's lots of trees. And rocks." Sam started to giggle when the sirens went off.

UNSCHEDULED OFF WORLD ACTIVATION

o

"So, you're off to save the world with Jonas while I get to stay here and play diplomat. So not fair."

Sam gathered the last of the testing equipment she would need on Kelowna, and turned to leave the lab.

"Sorry, Sir, you know I'd love to stay, but-"

"Yeah, sure you would."

Sam smiled at him. "Just try to be patient, Sir. They are facing the destruction of their entire planet."

"Patience is not my strong suit," he said with what she could swear was a pout.

"Good luck, Sir. I'll see you soon."

"You betcha," he said wryly.

The Kelownan's left after a few hours. Life at the SGC returned to it quasi-normal state, not that it had ever really left such. Eager to put this little disaster-adverted behind him as quickly as possible, Jack had somehow quite miraculously finished all requisite reports in record time.

He soon found his way over to Carter's lab, where, sure enough, she was working on what appeared to be… something big and metallic.

"Souvenir?"

"Actually, in a way, Sir, it is. We found some very interesting combinations of elements in the molten remains of the forward drills. It appears that when the alloys of the drills were superheated, then practically dipped into naquadriah, the combined to form a stronger alloy-"

"Whoa! Enough!" He emphasized, gesturing with his hands.

"Sorry, Sir," Sam said with a smile. "So are you heading out?"

"Yup. Gotta be up and at 'em bright and early tomorrow. Take two at P3X-69something-something. So… Daniel and Teal'c are coming over for a D-horror movie marathon. Starts with 'Attack of the Killer Tomatoes'."

Sam laughed out loud. "I don't remember the last time I saw that."

"Tempting, isn't it?" He waggled his eyebrows with the comment.

Sam looked at him for a moment, and he could hear the gears pouring, and that sure looked like smoke coming out of her ears. Just as he was about to prod her some more, she spoke.

"Actually, I think that sounds great. I've got a bit of clean-up here first. Give me an hour?"

Too surprised at her acceptance to speak, Jack nodded.

Sam chuckled softly. "All right. I'll see you soon, Sir."

Jack nodded once more, then turned to leave the lab. As he walked out the door, he finally said the only thing that came to mind: "Sweet!"

Sam was staring out the window of the café, enjoying the break from her normal routine. So lost in thought was she that she didn't hear him approaching, and was startled by the sound of his familiar voice far too close to her ear.

"Is this seat taken?"

Sam shivered as his warm breath tickled the back of her neck. "Well, no, but there's plenty of empty-" Jack O'Neill sat in the chair opposite her. "-tables."

"Yeah, but none of them has such a beautiful, single woman sitting at them," he replied with an exaggerated waggle of his brow. Sam couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, thank you. But how do you know I'm single?"

O'Neill pointed at her hand. "No ring."

"I could have a boyfriend," she retorted.

"You're having coffee by yourself at 07:30."

"Very observant of you. Military, I take it?"

"What gave me away?"

"Do you realize how few civilians refer to time on a 24 hour clock?"

"Oh. Whoops."

"Well, I feel compelled to warn you, then. Most of the guys I have dated recently have died."

"I'll risk it. Hey, maybe you're cursed. 'Only true love shall set you free'," he said with a wink.

"You know, we are risking it. I mean, even this, as benign as it may be, it could be misconstrued, used against us-"

"I'm not doing anything I haven't done with Daniel, or countless previous 2IC's dozens of times."

"You hit on Daniel in a coffee shop often?"

"Every other day," he said with a lopsided grin.

Sam laughed again. He really loved doing that to her. He was starting to think that maybe this thing, whatever it might be, might actually work between the two of them. He was definitely enjoying this getting-to-know-the-real-Sam-Carter part. After almost seven years, he thought he'd known her pretty well, but nothing had prepared him for the sheer delight of the woman underneath the tougher-than-naquadah soldier he'd served so closely with.

"Seriously, Sir," Sam began.

"No, no seriousness. Fun," Jack insisted.

Sam sighed. "What are we going to do about this? 'Cause I'm not sure I can keep this up indefinitely. Seven years is a long time."

"I know," he replied soberly.

"Our options are pretty limited."

"Well, I could retire, or you could transfer to another team."

"See, I have serious problems with both of those options. I don't want you to give up your career for me, any more than you would want me to."

"Hey, I've been ready to retire for quite some time, you know."

"You are needed at the SGC. Your leadership, your experience. No one knows the Goa'uld better than you. And I love working with you, learning from you-"

"Sarcasm 101 by Jack O'Neill," he quipped.

Sam continued without missing a beat. "-Which is exactly why I don't want to transfer to another team."

"Well. If I'm gonna be out there, there's no one I rather have watching my six."

"So…"

"So…"

They sat in silence for a long time.

"There's gotta be another way," Jack practically growled. Sam could see the gears grinding in his head.

"I'm open to suggestions," she told him.

"What if… Nah…"

"What if what?"

"Well… how many times have we saved the world and prevented the utter annihilation of life as we know it?"

"I lost count, Sir," Sam answered.

"That's a lot of favors they owe us, don't ya think?"

"What are you suggesting?"

Jack sat quiet for an extraordinarily long moment.

"I've gotta look into a couple of things. I've got an idea that just might work." Sam looked at him quizzically as he rose from his chair. When he passed her, he paused. "Sure we're ready for this?"

"Been ready for a long time, Sir," she told him, confidence and faith lighting her eyes. Jack gave her goofy grin before turning and exiting; leaving Sam to wonder what he was going to pull out of his sleeve

Sam was surprised to run into the Colonel in the elevator. He was uncharacteristically early. A bit nervous after their earlier encounter, Sam found herself humming.

"Humming?" O'Neill asked her.

"I am?"

"You are."

"Oh. Sorry."

"What's his name?"

"Now why would I-" Sam sputtered.

"Humming. Anyone I know?"

He was really pushing it now. Sam decided to dish it back.

"Maybe. He's a friend of my dad's."

That got him to choke for a sec. He cleared his throat. "Smells like a set-up,"

Sam laughed out loud. "Pathetic, I know."

"No, it's great!"

"Is it?"

"Isn't it?"

"Well, it's nothing serious. Yet."

"And yet, it is hum-worthy."

"Sir-"

"Oh, Carter, I'm just happy that you're happy about something other than… quarks."

A long pause. A sideways glance. A sly smile.

"Not bad with 'quarks' huh?"

"Excellent."

Another long pause.

"Getting a bit uncomfortable, isn't it."

"A bit."

Another glance exchanged. A pair of sighs. The lift stopped and the doors opened.

"Good luck," O'Neill told her as he left.

"Thanks, Sir," she answered wryly.

Sam shook her head. He really was incorrigible. Sam was getting a bad feeling about this.

o

Jack took her by surprise yet again, with an invitation to see a movie. Though she was all too aware of the fine line they were treading, she couldn't help saying yes. When they arrived at an older cinema playing "Singing in the Rain", she was positively stunned.

As they left the theatre, she suggested they walk for a bit. He nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets. They'd be less tempted to roam in her direction that way. Sam copied his action, all the while longing wrap her arm around his as they strolled towards a park.

"That was great."

"Yeah. One of my favorites."

"You never cease to amaze me, Sir."

He winced. He was doing that a lot lately, especially when she called him "Sir", and most especially when she called him "Sir" while they were out on a date. Jack paused, stumbling over his own thoughts.

"I guess I just figured you more for the Dirty Harry type," she continued.

"You know, Carter, not all men like the bang-bang-shoot-em-up stuff. I have enough of that in real life, don't ya think? I happen to like watching a man dance around with an umbrella." Sam chuckled, and Jack grinned.

They began walking back toward the parking lot. When they reached Sam's car, O'Neill finally spoke again.

"So… time for you to head home. Don't want you turning into a pumpkin."

"Early morning briefing tomorrow."

"Did I get that memo?"

"Hammond wants an update on the jamming device. I think I may have isolated-" she stopped abruptly when Jack raised a finger to her lips.

"Ah-ah! No shop talk!" He liked the feel of her lips on his fingertip way too much. He pulled it away, but not before Sam's tongue darted out ever-so-briefly, making contact with his skin and sending shivers down his spine. "You are dangerous, woman," he muttered. Sam just smiled impishly.

"Sorry, Sir."

"Well."

"Deep subject." That won her a waggle of the O'Neill brow.

"I guess this is good night."

"Yeah. I guess so."

"So…"

"So…"

"Good night, Major Carter."

"Good night, Colonel O'Neill." They stood staring at one another for a ridiculously long moment before Sam finally turned away, got in her car, and drove home.

The next day, upon returning home from a long day of boring lab tests, she found a rose waiting for her on the front steps, with a note attached.

Dinner at eight, surprise to follow. Dress Up.

Sam looked around, smiling. She brought the rose close enough to breathe in its sweet scent as she continued into the house. She glanced at the clock and realized that she only had a little over an hour before he was due to pick her up. She nearly ran to the shower.

She'd barely gotten the last earring through her lobe when the doorbell rang. She looked her reflection over once more, counted to five, then went to the door. She opened it to find a certain devastatingly handsome Colonel who hadn't yet made it all the way up to eye-contact. Sam was pretty sure he'd never looked at her so openly, and had never seen her so feminine.

Colonel Jack O'Neill had seen plenty of amazing sights in his travels through the world, even the galaxy. Nothing had prepared for the knock-em-dead sight before him. He slowly took in every detail, from the sexy, strappy footwear to the long, shapely legs, to the simple, short-skirted-low-cut-I-am-woman-hear-me-roar dress, and at last, to the smiling eyes of the woman who filled it so nicely.

" 'Up' enough?" she finally asked.

"I… umm… What?" Down boy, he thought.

Sam laughed. "I'll take that as a yes."

Almost as an afterthought, Jack brought the flowers out from behind his back.

"Those for me?"

"Yeah, well, I thought ya might like the other eleven."

"Very cute, Sir." Sam went to the kitchen and dug out a vase for the bouquet. She filled it with water, and then put the flowers in. She turned back to find Jack patiently waiting inside the doorway. "Shall we?" she asked.

"Ladies first," he replied. Sam closed and locked the door behind her, and they departed.

o

Upon nearing their final destination, Jack made Sam close her eyes. He lead her into a building filled with music. What else, Sam had no idea, but was getting rather impatient to find out.

"Now?"

"No."

"Now?"

"No."

"Now?"

"No! Will ya stop it?"

A slight pause.

"How about now?"

"No… Okay." Sam opened her eyes and looked around, discovering that a sea of silver heads surrounded them. When her gaze reached the front of the room, she saw the large banner overhead. "Happy 50th Anniversary Harry and Mary." She turned back to Jack with a curious look.

"Whaddaya think?" he asked her.

"I think we're gonna get noticed!"

"Nah. Besides, they'll forget all about it by morning." The joke was lame, but she granted him a beautiful smile all the same.

They danced for what seemed like hours. The room slowly emptied around them, but they were too lost in each other to notice.

"This is great," she told him. It was the first thing she'd said in quite a while.

"It's nice to know people really do still grow old together," he replied. "It's easy to forget that in our line of work."

O

Pointing at the ladder, Sam stared at Jack wide-eyed. "You want me to climb up there in this?" she asked incredulously. "You're kidding, right?"

"What's the problem?"

"Have you tried climbing a ladder in three-inch-heels?"

"Haven't tried much of anything in three-inch-heels." If he weren't her CO, she would have decked him. Instead, she laughed while glaring at him. At his confused look, she laughed harder. It would take him quite a while to figure that one out. With a sigh she looked back at the ladder and made a decision. She took her shoes off and threw them over her shoulder before making her ascent.

"Ow!" he cried out, as one of those spikey heels nearly impaled his shoulder.

"Sorry, Sir!" she called down. Jack glanced up, then back down quickly after the reminder of Carter's wardrobe. He patted his pockets down to make sure everything was secure before starting his climb. When he finally reached the top, he found her staring up at the clear night sky in wonder. He crossed over to her and stood behind her. Although longed to wrap his arms tightly around her, they hung idle at his sides.

"Its easy to forget how beautiful those are, too." Sam's skin tingled from the warmth of his breath so close to her ear. She wanted to lean back into him, but she stood motionless.

" I used to wish on stars when I was little. Shooting stars were my favorite. Until I learned that they were actually meteors burning their way through the earth's atmosphere."

"When was that?"

"When I was four."

Jack chuckled softly. "So what did you wish for?"

"Oh, I suppose the usual four-year-old stuff. A pony. That Mark would stop picking on me. That I would meet my prince charming and live happily ever after. I was on my one and only fairy tale kick of my life at that age." She turned around. Their eyes met. His gaze flickered down to her lips. Hers to his lips. Back up again.

Jack took a deep breath and stepped back, just enough to breathe.

"I'm not exactly Prince Charming material, you know."

"I'm not exactly four years old, you know."

"You deserve a hell of a lot better."

"You seriously need to stop underrating yourself. I happen to think I'm pretty lucky to have you in my life."

"I'm damned lucky to have you in mine. And grateful." Jack paused and looked away for a moment. "I can't imagine my life without you in it. I don't want to." He turned back to Sam. " I told you once that I haven't been myself since I met you." Sam winced at the memory of just when he'd said that. He reached out and gently tipped her face back up to meet his gaze. "I haven't been. I've been a much better person for knowing you." Sam felt tears welling up, the back of her throat began to burn. "Whatever the future may hold for us, I need you to know that…" Jack trailed off as a tear escaped Sam's lids. He caught it with his thumb and brushed it away. Sam tried to smile, but didn't quite succeed.

"I- I need to tell you something, too." Sam took a deep breath and exhaled very slowly. "You know I've been very wary of… this, for a long time. But… I've reached the breaking point. When I was stranded out there, alone, on the Prometheus, I had to face some of my greatest fears."

"I know."

"I experienced… something. I'm not sure anymore what exactly it was. Maybe hallucinations induced by the head-trauma. Or maybe it was some sort of manifestation of sentience from within the nebula." She paused to look up at Jack before continuing. "I had… visitors out there. First it was Teal'c. Telling me not to fall asleep or I'd die. Then Daniel, telling me to study the nebula. Then… then it was Teal'c again, warning me that the aliens who'd attacked us were stuck out there, too, and they were holding all the rest of the crew hostage. And in between there was this… a little girl." Jack looked up sharply. "She kept singing and showing up all over the ship. She… she was adorable, really, with long, curly brown hair and-"

"And blue eyes," he finished with her. Sam stared at him wide eyed.

"How did you…"

"Well, I don't think she was just a hallucination… I think she followed you home."

"You saw her?!"

"The night I took you home, after the Doc released you from the infirmary."

"Oh." Sam seemed to be processing this new information. "That really makes it confusing. I mean, the next time I saw Daniel, he was telling me I should be talking to the girl, that she was a manifestation of the nebula… After that… after that, things took a personal turn. I saw my Dad."

"Really? What did he have to tell you?"

"You'll love this. He wanted me to be happy. More to the point, he wanted me to find someone to love, to let go of the things preventing my happiness."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Sooo…"

"So then I saw the little girl again, and she wanted me to have fun blowing bubbles."

"My kind of girl!"

"Then I saw you."

"Me?"

"You."

"What did I want?"

"Oh, the usual, get up and go save my ass. You'll always be there for me. You're a safe bet."

"Safe bet?"

"At first, I thought, that... as long as I'm thinking of you, setting my sights on what I perceive as unattainable, there's no chance of me getting hurt by someone else."

"Oh." Jack looked down at his feet.

Sam closed her eyes and took a long, slow, deep breath. "What it really boiled down to is my own insecurity. I was afraid to believe that you really cared that much."

"And now?"

"Now… I don't think I could never let you go, even if I wanted to. Which I don't."

"That's good."

"You really saw her?"

"Yup."

"What did she say to you?"

"That you faced your greatest fears out in that nebula, and that I should tell you how I feel."

"Which you did."

"So I did." Jack smiled softly for her. "And I'm not quite done yet."

She looked at him with wide-eyed amazement. "The Colonel O'Neill I know does not talk about his feelings… who are you, really?"

"The man who cannot live with out you." He finally pulled the last ace out of his sleeve: a small black velvet box. Sam saw it and gasped. "Marry me, Sam."

"I… " she opened and closed her mouth a couple times trying to formulate words. "But it's against the regs!" she finally sputtered.

"Forget the regs!" he exploded. "Just for a minute, here, forget the regs, the Air Force, the SGC, the snake heads… forget the rest of the entire damned universe. It's just you and me here. Marry me."

Sam stared at him for an eternity.

She nodded. Then she began to smile. "I would love nothing more."

"But it's still against the regs, Sir. No matter how much we might want it," Sam announced, shaking her head. Not two seconds ago, she'd said she would love nothing more than to marry him, and that was still sinking into Jack's brain. She waved a hand in front of his face. "Sir?"

"Yeah. I'm here."

"I don't mean to rain on the parade here, but… there's still the whole regs-issue. Not to mention what sort of effect this will have on the team as a whole. We can't just ignore that."

"As far as the team goes, I think we'll be fine. We've made it through seven years of repressed feelings and denial. This can't be too much harder."

"And the regs. Got a magic wand to wave those away?"

"No, but between the two of us, I'd say the President owes us enough favors we could combine into one big one."

"You want to ask the President to wave the regs for us?"

"Something like that."

"You really think he'll go for it?"

"Ah, come on, Carter, the guy's a virtual lame duck. I think we've got a pretty good shot. Other wise I would never have suggested it."

Sam looked at him in wonder. "How long have you been thinking about this?"

Jack glanced down at his watch. "Oh, about two years, four months, one week, three days and-" he was interrupted by Sam's burst of laughter.

"Really?"

"You remember when that alien-entity thing took over your body?"

"Do you think I'll ever forget?"

"Yeah. Well, that's about the time I began seriously contemplating… life without Carter. It wasn't a pretty picture."

"That was a hell of a year, wasn't it." They stood quiet for a moment, lost in the memories.

"So, Sir, when did you want to go have that talk with the president?"

"You free for the next… twelve to fifteen hours or so?"

"Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack."

"You really have been planning this for a while, haven't you?"

Not only did the President agree that they should be married, he insisted on conducting the ceremony right then and there. They left the White House Mr. and Mrs. Jack O'Neill. And if anyone else ever again addressed her by that title, she'd shoot them.

Thirteen hours after they left, they were back in Colorado. It was indeed a whirlwind romance. Of course, the wedding night was going to have to wait. They were late enough reporting back to the base. Hammond was probably ready to kill them.

Surprisingly, Hammond didn't even notice their absence. He seemed to be under the impression that they were actually early in arriving for the day. Jack made a mental note to remember to thank Teal'c for taking care of that little detail.

Teal'c was the first to comment on the incredibly good mood of his teammates.

"Major Carter. You look very happy today," he greeted her in the commissary. Sam blushed and glanced down at her tray.

"Just having a good day, I suppose." She had no idea how they were going to tell everyone about their sudden nuptials. "So how's Daniel doing today?"

"I have not seen Dr Jackson since he left last night."

"Maybe he's finally getting some decent sleep."

"Maybe he's not," the subject of their conversation interjected.

"Daniel! You look terrible."

"Yeah. Thanks. I feel like death warmed over in a microwave. Twice."

"Ouch. Not getting any better, huh?"

"Just stranger. The Sarah I'm dreaming about is just soo…"

"So.. what?" Jack popped in.

"I don't know. All I can see when I close my eyes are those symbols and they may as well be the scribblings of a three year old for all I can decipher."

"Perhaps they do not actually have any meaning," said Teal'c.

"And I thought I was missing something interesting," Jack replied.

"Uuuggh! Enough! I'm ready to go beg Janet for some sleep-aids. I can hardly even see straight." Daniel dropped his head onto his folded arms.

"That's actually not a bad idea, Daniel," Sam responded. "She could even monitor your sleep, make sure there's nothing wrong, physiologically speaking, anyway."

Daniel yawned loudly. "Yup. A nice little nap in the infirmary. Just what the doctor ordered… or will order." He rose from the table, a tad unsteady. Teal'c stood up and stabilized him.

"G'night Daniel," Jack told him. Teal'c assisted the younger man out to the infirmary, leaving Carter and O'Neill momentarily alone in the commissary.

"Hi," he greeted her.

"Hello, Sir," she returned. For a moment they just stared, goofy little smiles on each of their faces. Sam was the first to break contact with a shake of her head.

"I've got a lot of work to do, Sir," Sam said as she began to rise.

"Think we should tell them?" Jack's question stopped her dead in her tracks. She sat back down abruptly.

"Can we talk about it later?" She glanced around for a moment before continuing, "Somewhere a little more private?"

"We don't have to hide, you know. We got permission," he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"It's just… it happened pretty fast. Let's just take a little time to… to get used to it."

"Sure. No problem." Jack stood up to leave. Sam reached up and touched his arm. When he looked back at her, she was blew him away with a million-watt-smile. "I'll see you tonight, Major. Have fun with your doohickies."

"Meanwhile, Sir, might I suggest you get that mountain of paperwork you're avoiding done so we can take some leave time and have a proper honeymoon," she told him as she stood up. She turned and left the room long before he could drag his mind away from the mental images she had just conjured.

They had been sitting in his truck, in front of her house, for almost five minutes without a word. Neither attempted eye contact, either. They both stared straight ahead, their thoughts consumed by what they each knew was about to happen. Finally, Sam broke the silence.

"So… you wanna come in?"

Jack spared her a sidelong glance. "I don't know, the inside of your house, that's a pretty big deal."

Sam cocked her head to one side. "You have been inside my house before."

"Yeah. But not like this."

"No. Not like this."

"This is different."

"Very different."

"So are you coming in or staying out?" She didn't wait for a reply this time. She climbed out of the cab and walked to her door. Jack waited about half a second before following. They made is as far as getting the front door shut before they were all over each other.

Jack pinned Sam against the wall as his mouth devoured hers. As their tongues clashed, she could think of nothing but him. All she could see, hear, taste, feel, smell, was Jack. Her husband.

Whoa.

As if the realization had hit them simultaneously, they pulled apart.

"Wow." They spoke in unison, then laughed together. Jack managed to speak first. "That was so worth the wait!"

"Seven years." Her hands were tangled in his hair, but she brought one down to cup his face. "How did this happen?"

"Well, we got on a plane to Washington-" he stopped when Sam nipped at his lip.

"I love you, Jack O'Neill." Sam felt him go completely still in her arms. With eyes dark and intense, he lowered his mouth to hers once more. Against her lips, she felt as much as heard the words. "I love you Samantha Carter O'Neill. Always have."

Sam trembled as Jack's mouth swept over hers once again. Lips locked, they stumbled down the hall until they finally reached the bedroom. Jack continued pushing her backwards until she felt the mattress behind her legs. As she collapsed onto the bed she dragged Jack down, rolled him over and straddled his torso. With one sweep, she tore off her shirt just before he pulled her back down for another searing kiss.

Sam reached down between them and grabbed his shirt, yanking upward fiercely. He rose up a bit as the shirt rode up and they parted just long enough to get it over his head. It was flung off to a dark corner, forgotten before it reached the ground. Lips and tongues entangled once more, Jack reached around Sam and unclasped her bra. She shrugged out of it with barely a breath between them. A skin met skin, she gasped sharply. Her head tipped back, Jack began to kiss her neck, caressing her skin with his tongue.

Hands roamed, mouths explored. But their eyes never strayed, never closed. They were focused and locked, sharing secret messages and unspoken feelings. Every doubt, every fear melted away into passion hotter than the brightest stars in the universe. They were finely tuned to one another, giving and taking without hesitation or restraint. As the last of their clothes disappeared, their tempo slowed. In their eyes burned a yearning to savor every moment as though it were their last, for they knew too well how precious a commodity was time.

At long last, they finally merged together, joining as equals. Neither giving nor taking, they simple became one. They continued to gaze at one another as their bodies moved with a rhythm as old as time. As the tempo reached crescendo , their emotions swelled, their spirits soared through time and space and back, returning with explosive impact.

Long after their bodies had stilled and their hearts began to beat normally, Jack lifted Sam's hand and brought it too his lips. She lifted her head off his chest and propped herself up on one arm.

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"We gotta do that again soon." Sam winked as she rolled onto her side. Draping a leg over Jack's belly, she nestled her head into his shoulder. "Good night," she said softly, "husband."

Jack smiled. "Good night, wife." He tightened his arms around her and finally closed his eyes. It would be a very good night.

o

Carter leaped out of the surveillance van moments before Osiris came out of the front of Daniel's house. She immediately opened fire. The Goa'uld shot back, wiping out the van.

Jack ran out of the house just in time to see her blown twenty feet off the ground from the van's explosion. Jack screamed for Sam as he fired the dart gun. Osiris spun around to fire at him just before collapsing. He never even felt the blast ripping through his shoulder. He ran to Sam, still collapsed in a heap. He checked for a pulse, praying… Please, God, No! Not Yet! I Just Got Her!!… finding her heart is still beating strong… Thank You God!! I Owe You One.

Sam rolled into Jack a bit as her eyes slowly opened.

"Sir?"

"Right here. You okay?"

She thought it over a moment, mentally reviewing body parts. "I think so. Sir?"

"Yeah?"

"You're bleeding." Jack looked down to see a large red stain growing across his left shoulder.

"Oh. Crap." That would be the last thing he remembered of the stake-out, as he promptly lost consciousness.

Inside the infirmary, Jack was stationed just a couple of beds down from Sarah. Another thing to thank God for. The Tok'ra had managed to extract the snakehead and save Daniel's friend.

Jack tried to sit up so he could reach a glass of water on the tray, but flopped back down when a wave of dizziness swamped him almost immediately.

"You're not supposed to do anything but lay there for the next 24 hours, Sir."

Too beat to argue, Jack just nodded.

"Everything okay, Sir?" She reached for his hand, but he moved it away. "Jack?" she whispered.

He finally met her eyes. The pain she saw in them tore at her heart.

"That was too damn close. Too damn soon to be that close." He closed his eyes again, trying to block out the pain he saw mirrored in her eyes.

"But we made it through. You're going to be fine."

"Yeah." He kept his eyes closed, not wanting to see her as he spoke his next words. "Don't know if I can keep doing this… now."

Sam felt tears welling up. She swallowed them back and spoke softly, praying her voice wouldn't crack. "It's too late for second thoughts, you know."

Jack's eyes flew open and pinned hers. "That's not what I meant."

"Then what do you mean?"

"I'm just… thinkin' that retirement is sounding really good right now."

"Oh." Sam wasn't sure what to say to that. "Please, don't jump to any decisions right now. We've been through a lot in the last twenty-four hours. We just need to let things… settle."

Jack sighed. "It's going to be a very long night."

"Very," she agreed. "I think I may just spend the night on base. I don't think I feel like driving home." She paused and glanced around. "You know, if we… if we told Janet.. she might be willing to let me crash out in here… if you wanted-"

"Hell ya! You're the one who wanted to wait to tell everyone, remember?"

"Well, like you said, it's not as if we have to hide anything now, right?"

"I love the way you think, Carter."

"Funny, you always said I think too much."

"You do. You gonna go get the doc, or should I start pounding the panic button?"

"We're about to ask her for a favor. The last thing we want to do is scare her half to death first." As she rose, Sam leaned in close to Jack's face. "Don't you dare fall asleep before I get back." She planted a feathery kiss on his forehead before she walked away. Might not be such a bad night after all, Jack thought as he drifted to sleep.

o

Fini


End file.
